In Tuesday night’s Committee of the Whole meeting, BWG planning staff presented a report to council recommending the implementation of a Bond Head Heritage Conservation District (HCD), and asking for approval for $55,000, to retain a qualified consultant to guide the final stage of the process.
The Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury has been considering an HCD for the hamlet of Bond Head, home to many historical buildings, since 2007, in an effort to preserve BWG’s heritage.
In November 2017, a complete review and and background study was undertaken by Archaeological Research Associates (ARA), to determine the historic significance of Bond Head and whether it warrants an HCD.
ARA presented its Stage 1 report in March of 2019, concluding that Bond Head's built heritage merited the protection of an HCD, and recommending that the town proceed to Stage 2 - a more detailed look at the historical resources and streetscapes, and establishment of a proposed boundary for a Heritage Conservation District.
Stage 2 was completed in August 2019. It is now being recommended that council proceed to the final phase of the project: the completion of a Heritage Conservation District Plan and Guidelines, and the passage of an HCD designation by-law for Bond Head.
Response from council was mixed.
Mayor Rob Keffer was in support of moving forward, noting that over the years the people of Bond Head have become increasingly worried over the new development in their area. The HCD would be a way to preserve the village, with regulations in play governing demolition, rebuilding, and maintenance of building facades.
“I think it’s an opportunity to be able to address how the community of Bond Head develops moving forward,” he said, adding, “We all want what’s best for the community and how it will grow. That is the struggle we are facing right now.”
Coun. Gary Lamb was also in support of the HCD, and the regulations that the by-law would impose.
“I believe in order to support a Heritage District you should have some restrictions,” he said, referring to Kleinburg and its HCD, where “there’s a feeling of heritage” while driving through.
He noted that with an HCD, all future development and rebuilding in the hamlet would have to be “sympathetic to the heritage”.
Not all of Council supported the concept.
Deputy Mayor James Leduc was opposed. “I think it’s a little too intrusive,” he said, indicating the restrictions were too much for a whole community.
He noted that the Town of BWG already has a heritage program in place where heritage homes are listed and identified and heritage home owners are eligible for a 40 percent rebate on their taxes to help preserve its features.
“I am more than happy to support heritage. Step up and I’ll put it on the registry, but I will not put restrictions on a whole community,” he said.
Coun. Gary Baynes agreed with Leduc, and questioned what the difference was between the program already in place, and the HCD.
“Every house I looked at, it was already on the list. If we want to update or demolish, we have policies and procedures in place for those on the list. I am hesitant to say let’s spend more on the study when we already got the controls we need for existing controls and procedures,” Baynes said.
Coun. Peter Dykie liked the idea of the HCD, but worried about the $55,000 price tag.
“Where is this $55,000 going to come from?” he asked.
Like Baynes, he wondered how the HCD would differ from the current heritage program in place.
“I am struggling with how the study is going to affect everybody,” he said.
Keffer suggested the town apply for a tourism grant offered by Simcoe County of up to $25,000 to help pay for the HCD guidelines and consultation.
"It is a tourism grant that Simcoe County has redeployed to help municipalities and bring people in," the Mayor explained..
Coun. Mark Contois raised concerns over the safety of some of the current heritage homes, noting some had stairs falling apart and needed a lot of work. He also questioned how this would affect the Quaint House, which is within the boundary of the HCD and is under redevelopment.
Ryan Windle, Manager of Community Planning, responded that the HCD would have no impact on the Quaint House. “It really has no great bearing at this point as it relates to the Quaint House. It possibly could down the line if an HCD was in place,” he said.
Windle said that the process for any upgrades or changes to HCD homes would be go through a review process with town staff and council before proceeding with development or redesign, but noted minor elements would not require such a formal review.
Planning staff noted the next steps would involve input from residents and stakeholders, to make sure they are designing a plan best suited to Bond Head and respectful of community needs.
Coun. Raj Sandhu supported the implementation of the HCD, noting that it has been talked about for years, and that development is coming to the Bond Head “whether we like it or not.”
He added, “I think it’s worth preserving. I think we should move forward with this. Those are beautiful buildings."
Coun. Ron Orr, who also sits on The Heritage Committee, agreed.
“The HCD is an important part of saving the flavour of Bond Head,” he said. "Council knew they (the homes) were listed, so if we tried to go with that argument then we shouldnt have carried on with the study," he pointed out.
Bond Head resident of 47 years, David Chambers was in attendance for the meeting, and addressed council on why the hamlet should be designated.
He noted that “heritage properties offer distinctive identities that no other community can steal,” and suggested an HCD would not only attract local interest, but also people from around the world.
He quoted from the 2009 book, Cultural Planning for Creative Communities: “It is a recipe for success to invest in heritage programs, and part of a powerful local economic and development strategy.”
In a 5-4 vote, council voted to recommend moving forward with an HCD for the hamlet of Bond Head, submit an application for the Simcoe County grant of $25,000 and if not approved, for staff to report back on funding options.